1. Field of Invention
This invention applies to the industry concerned with guidance and propulsion of heavy loads from place to place about a floor in an industry where loads levitate upon a pressurized fluid caster during transport. More particularly, this invention integrates within the caster plenum cavity a brake or a brake with guide wheel combination
A different industry disclosed inventions with a discrete brake assembly or a discrete brake with guide wheel combination assembly within a ground effect trunk. A represintative invention in this art includes that disclosed in U.S. patent Ser. No. 3,592,285 granted to Noble Jul. 13, 1971. This industry is different from the fluid caster industry of this invention. These ground effect vehicles such as amphibious boats or airplanes do not levitate upon fluid casters. They levitate instead by an air foil trunk formed an enormous flexible skirt surrounding the periphery of the vehicle.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the fluid caster industry of my invention, a load, not a vehicle, levitates near frictionless upon multiple fluid casters attached beneath the load. It often takes surprisingly low forces to move the levitated load. On flat floors, relatively smaller loads move by an operator pushing or pulling the load by band. Heavier loads often propel by a motorized transporter. A problem is not so much in getting load to move, but to stop its inertia safely and quickly once it gets moving, especially down a slight grade. Prior fluid caster art inventions have somewhat solved the stopping problem by attaching a brake assembly to the bottom of load separate from the fluid caster. Such invention is similar to that disclosed in U.S. patent Ser. No. 3,752,331 granted to Colburn Aug. 14, 1973. Also, it is most difficult to guide load in a direction of motion desired by the operator. Even the slightest uneven floor condition can cause the load to swing or drift laterally. Prior art inventions have somewhat solved the guiding problem by attaching a guide wheel assembly to the bottom of load separate from the fluid caster. Such invention is similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,116 granted to Burdick Aug. 13, 1974. Another prior art invention has combined the fluid levitated caster with a guide wheel attached within the caster plenum. This invention integrating fluid caster with guide wheel was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,390,736 granted to Thomas Jun. 28, 1966. Another novel load guiding and stopping invention is disclosed in the copending U.S. Pat. application of Jason L. Smith, Ser. No. 09/528,652, filed Mar. 20, 2000, entitled `Guide Wheel Integrated with Ground Rubbing Brake Controls Fluid Levitated Loads`. It is assigned to the same assignee as the present application. This invention somewhat solves the stopping and guiding problems simultaneously by attaching an assembly to load bottom that integrates both the brake and guide wheel functions together in one assembly.
Both the brake separate assembly and sate brake with guide wheel combination assembly are expensive. Both assemblies take significant effort to attach to load often including drilling and tapping of holes and bolt and nut fastening. Both assemblies may be impossible to attach directly under load as often there is minimal available space that is unoccupied either by fluid caster devices or some other load structural feature.
My invention has the advantages over systems using conventional fluid casters with separate brake assembly, and/or with separate guide wheel assembly of:
i. lowering the cost of adding a brake function or adding a guide wheel with brake function to a fluid caster levitated system PA1 ii. decreasing the weight of added brake function or added guide wheel with brake function to a fluid caster levitated system PA1 iii. reducing set up time and attachment complexity of adding brake function or added guide wheel with brake function to a fluid caster levitated system PA1 iv. decreasing attachment footprint area of adding brake function or added guide wheel with brake function to a fluid caster levitated system.